NASA has finalized the "the initial design and technology development phase for the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program" that will build and launch their new manned spacecraft fleet. They made a fascinating technical video that shows how they will assemble and launch "different spacecraft and rockets in development for human exploration."

I love these animated CAD designs. Can you imagine them designing each of these pieces in the computers and then making and assembling them, from the vehicle assembly tools and platforms to the spaceships themselves? What about how they did it during the Apollo years, with pencil, ink, and paper, without CAD or computers? It truly blows my mind.

Unlike previous work at Kennedy focusing on a single kind of launch system, such as the Saturn V rocket or space shuttle, engineers and managers in GSDO are preparing the spaceport's infrastructure to support several different spacecraft and rockets in development for human exploration. This includes NASA's development of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. They will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit with the flexibility to launch spacecraft for crew and cargo missions to destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars.